TEAMWORK – Multi-agency co-operation what is working

Labour Trafficking and Multi Agency Cooperation TEAMWORK!

A recent report from the Netherlands just out – TEAMWORK – is a comprehensive tool kit, designed to strengthen multidisciplinary cooperation against trafficking for labour exploitation in the EU. The report was developed in co-operation with a panel of experts gathered from Luxembourg, Slovakia and Malta, (countries which will take on the EU presidency in the periods before and after the six month run currently in hand with the Netherlands). The report was commissioned in preparation for the Netherlands presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2016, and there is comprehensive mustering of all the usual organisations which are implicated, trade unions, business associations, employment regulators, recruitment agencies and business, alongside prosecutors, judges, revenue and customs, immigration services, police, border agencies, and judges.

For those looking to consider the various implications of how an early British exit from Europe might impact on the UK’s ability to co-operate on European wide challenges for data and police resourcing of investigations and information sharing, the sections on the work of EMPACT (the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Crime Threats) which builds on the work of Europol, Eurojust, CEPOL, Frontex and Interpol from the 25 EU member states, and Switzerland, will be of particular interest. The stated role of EMPACT is “to disrupt organised criminal groups involved in intra-EU human trafficking and human trafficking from the most prevalent external source countries for the purposes of labour exploitation and sexual exploitation; including those groups using Legal Business
Structures to facilitate or disguise their criminal activities”

Organisation wide or individual applications for CCARHT training courses running througout the summer of 2016 – do be in contact. Training@ccarht.org

The role of continued upskilling and training for all sectors incorporated in the report is particularly highlighted and fits well with the courses which CCARHT will be running out over the summer – in co-operation with a number of providers of professional service training. Do be in touch to discuss your personal or organisational requirements on this.

Do let us know your reflections on this report. We are seeking to extend our understanding of what works and what has proved disappointing, what is in particular need of development in Multi Agency Co-operation and what are the continued gaps in understanding around the human rights abuse and internationally recognised crime of trafficking for labour exploitation – as we drive forward our own research into deepening early detection and enhanced victim care. Informed co-operation across multiple sectors is vital – but still appears to be seriously challenging – with different State’s working practices, legislation, bureaucratic procedures, employment cultures and political priorities impeding rapid development of co-ordinated and efficient interventions. Our associates and readers thoughts after reading the report are welcomed.

Report on working together to resist THB in Labour Trafficking

Published by

Cambridge Centre for Applied Research in Human Trafficking

The Centre for Applied Research in Human Trafficking is a network of practitioners, experts, policy makers, enforcement personnel, lawyers many of whom specialise in Human Rights, advocates, writers and academics concerned to understand the matrix of Human Trafficking and to enhance the effectiveness of addressing this insidious, global and ubiquitous form of human rights violation.
The current director of the Centre is Dr Carrie Pemberton Ford, who can be contacted on carrie@ccarht.org. Dr Pemberton Ford is available for consultancy and research projects from time to time and welcomes invitations to participate at conferences which address this pressing and most perplexing challenge of our time.
The Centre has no political affiliation, and seeks independence in its research processes which it brings to peer review. We are currently recruiting some more experts to contribute to our blog on our renewed site. If you would like to be one of those bloggers ( a contribution a month) please be in touch.
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